Tour de France 2025 stage 20 preview
Saturday, July 26, 2025: Nantua - Pontarlier, 184.2 km


The penultimate stage of this year’s Tour de France will likely be one for the breakaway, as the riders head through the hills of the Ain, Jura and Doubs regions from Nantua to Pontarlier.
It will be a difficult stage to control, with teams likely to be depleted in the form of both manpower and energy, giving a perfect opportunity for those who find themselves at the head of the race to take the stage victory.
This stage features constant undulation, with very little in the way of flat roads throughout the day, despite there being only four categorised climbs along the route.
The most notable ascent of the day will be the Côte de Thésy (3.6km at 8.9%), which comes in the middle of the stage and could create splits within the breakaway if a selection of strong riders attempt to go clear.
Stage 20 Sprints
- Chaux du Dombief, km. 72.3
Stage 20 Mountains
- Col de la Croix de la Serra (cat. 3), km. 24.7
- Côte de Valfin (cat. 4), km. 45.1
- Côte de Thésy (cat. 2), km. 121.6
- Côte de Longeville (cat. 4), km.160.1
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Joseph Lycett is a freelance writer for Cyclingnews and has been covering professional cycling since 2022, writing for outlets such as GCN and Cycling Weekly. Joe is also a keen cyclist himself, regularly racing in his local crit races and time trials.
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